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BLACKER THE BERRY NEWS
REDEMPTION
Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. James 2:24 (KJV)
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THE INNER REVOLUTION Is the most important revolution Life at times can be very traumatic. It may seem as if all hope is gone but know that whatever we may experience in this life, it is only meant to make us stronger and bring us closer to God. All prophecies point towards the world growing wicked and more wicked and according to the Hindu scriptures, we are living in the last age, which is called Kali Yuga. Kali Yuga is described as a time of complete darkness when man takes pleasure in ignorance and worships evil. In the holy bible, it talks about the last days in the book of revelation. It talks about total corruption of government, great earthquakes, famines, diseases and war. If we look around we can see that we are currently living in the time of the apocalypse and many people remain blinded by carnal distractions. It is time for us as a people to realize what the world has come to and the part we have played in making it that way. We can either choose to be a part of the corruption or break free. Breaking free means change, it means a transformation, an inner revolution. We can only break free in our minds, hearts and eventually our physical bodies when we seek truth and decide to follow it. These government institutions are corrupt because they were founded upon wickedness and corruption. Almost all of the Native Americans were killed and their communities destroyed and millions of Africans were sold into slavery. America has murdered and enslaved millions but the biggest slavery is the one that exist in our own mind. If you want to find the devil, look within. If you want to find God, look within. No matter what profession we have or which philosophy we believe to be true, if we don’t put God first, it will never prosper. We must all look inside of ourselves and repent and turn away from our wickedness. How can we be angry and upset at our government when we have all manner of corruption inside of us? What each one of us have to realize is that this world is not our home, we are just a passerby. This is a time when we have to elevate our consciousness and turn away from those things that no longer serve us. Never feel like all hope is lost because it is not. If you still have breath in your body, you have the ability to change and evolve.
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SAVE OUR CHILDREN!!!!!
The suicide rate for black children are on the rise, especially for black boys. The rising suicide rate for Black children is because of the lack of money, food and education but most of all love. Black children in America are suffering more than adults and we go by each passing day ignoring childhood poverty right here in America. Some children don’t even live with their mom or father. Some children grow up in abusive foster homes and some are forced to go live out on the streets. If you don’t have a child, why don’t you help a single parent with their child? Why don’t you buy one of your friends pampers or baby food to help that person take care of their child? Why don’t you go volunteer to help children at your local child care center or why don’t you just give to a family in need? You don’t necessarily have to go to a building to be a blessing to someone but you can help someone in your family. This is a time when the Black community must grow closer and help raise black children into responsible adults instead of letting them die hungry and alone on the streets. The truth is, we have failed as a community but it is not too late to turn that around. Instead of lining up to go buy Jordan’s every time he has a new shoe or instead of getting those fancy car rims, why don’t you go and take some of that money and bless a poor family? It sickens me to see shows like Basketball Wives and Real Housewives of Atlanta when black children are getting shot down by the police and committing suicide at alarming rates! Black youth is in desperate need of attention and we as a community should donate to organizations with programs targeting black youth.
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POLICE TERRORISM IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE 9/11 ‘END POLICE TERROR’ MEETING!!!!! Maybe you are sick and tired of hearing countless stories about police terrorism against Black people, well guess what, we are sick and tired as well! In our first issue we talked about police brutality in the black community, then we addressed the history of the police department in Houston, we talked about the ongoing genocide against black and brown people and finally we addressed the militarization of the police. We are now calling on the people in the Black community to come together and DO DOMETHING about it! This statement alone may cause some people to sit this newspaper down and never look at it again. Everyone knows that police terrorism is a problem but we don’t know what to do about it or we’re too afraid even discuss effective solutions. First, fighting against police terrorism doesn’t always require you to pick up a gun but it does requires you to take some action. There is nothing wrong with marching and praying, in fact those can be very powerful tools when applied effectively but to continue doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. A person praying to God about a job but never going to fill out a job application is like a person marching and praying every time a black person is killed but refuse to put any effective action towards eliminating police brutality. To learn the history of police brutality in America and discuss effective solutions we as a community can implement, join us on 9.11 as we ban together to END POLICE TERRORISM IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY!!! If you are against police brutality, we need you! We don’t care what race, religion or profession. You can even be a police officer! The only thing we care about is ENDING POLICE TERRORISM!!!! WHEN: SEPT. 11, 2015 at 7pm WHERE: 2327 San Jacinto ADMISSION: $5
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More Information Call 713-305-3811 Or email Blackertheberry7@yahoo.com
THE AFRICAN TALKING DRUM REVIEW On July 29th an audience of over 200 watched the phenomenal stage play, The African Talking Drum written by Celeste Bedford Walker and directed by Erika R. Walton. This play was about how the present generation of African American youth are ignorant of their African culture and have believed the falsities given to them by the European. While these teenagers are walking through an alley they spot a drum. This is no ordinary drum; this is an African “talking” drum! As the show continues, the drum informs the teenagers about their rich African culture and takes them through the middle passage and all the way up to the 60’s and up until the present day. This play was definitely an experience. As the audience members walked in, some stopped and danced to the drumbeat that was carried on outside by the drum circle. The rich African colors, purple lights and well known Houston rap song, “Southside” intrigued audience members and held their attention throughout the show. Overall the show was very inspiring and gave hope and inspiration in a time of despair when Black folks are still treated less than human. This play reminds Black people of our great legacy and how we still have the potential to be just as great today as we were in the past. This play also reminds us that no matter what we’re going through as a people, it is never too late to turn our current situation around. At the end of the play, the children gains an appreciation of their rich African heritage and
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the drum calls all of humanity to return in consciousness to the great home of Africa. The African Talking Drum was held on the main stage of Texas Southern University and produced by TSU Children Theater Camp under the supervision of Theater professor Dr. Dianne Jemison Pollard. For more information about TSU children theater camp visit: www.tsuchildrenstheatre.wix.com/childrenstheatrecamp ______________________________________________________________ DONATE TO THE CAUSE!!!!!! Help us raise $300.00 to purchase a printer, paper and ink so we can continue to provide the Black community with conscious news. For three years we have been putting out nonstop conscious independent plays, short films, documentaries and recently this newspaper. If you read our previous edition, “All Power to the People� we mentioned how we as a community have a spending power of 1 trillion dollars and only 5 percent of those monies go toward black businesses. If you believe in the vision Blacker the Berry is trying to bring to the black community then please help us by visiting the link below and supporting this revolutionary movement. Remember no donation is too small. To donate visit: http://www.gofundme.com/supportblacknews
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LEGALIZE IT!!!! Legalization vs. Decriminalization New legal reforms are coming to the U.S. in the form of Marriage equality, cannabis law reforms and even potential reform in the area of the prison industrial complex. Marijuana or cannabis should be one of the key legislation's President Obama should focus on for decriminalizing on a national level. Recently as we have seen with the case of Sandra Bland the police have even used it as justification for not submitting to authority and as so called proof of mental illness leading to her suicide. The United States government makes big money on busting individuals for small amounts of marijuana. According to the American Civil Liberties Union half of all drug busts in the U.S. are for Marijuana. Blacks are nearly four times more likely than whites to be arrested for marijuana possession. And all this while, over half the U.S. population supports marijuana reform laws. It is important to know that legal reform of the laws prohibiting marijuana use comes in different varieties at the federal and state levels. Even if a state passes laws to legalize the federal government may use its authority through the DEA to make arrests and seize property. There has been a lot of conversation in the news about decriminalization and legalization. There is a large difference between the two and it is not always made clear by the main stream media which they are talking about specifically or what the real differences are. These differences can be compared in the tale of two states; Colorado and California. California is one of the better known "weed" states and this is mainly because they passed reform to "Legalize" under their State Senate House
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Bill 1449. This allowed individuals to have access to marijuana for medical purposes while being issued a prescription from a doctor for their particular illness. So although individuals can gain access to marijuana they are still unable to grow or possess it in many locations and marijuana is restricted to many individuals of different ages. This essentially allows the prison industrial complex to use their authority to harass and abuse individuals whom consume this herb and the prison population continues to grow. All while politicians can win over liberal votes without solving the major issues needing to be address by legal reform. Colorado has been far more progressive in their passing of Amendment 64 to the Colorado State Constitution allowing individuals to have a larger range of rights in terms of cannabis. Anyone over 21 years of age can possess up to 28 grams of marijuana, can grow three immature and three mature plants at a time, can travel with wed in the state, give weed as gifts, allowed to consume and with standard regulations for driving under the influence. This Amendment to their constitution in many ways is a great example of smart decriminalization and legalization. The state is already receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars for tax revenue, decreased its arrests for marijuana significantly and opportunities to operate businesses within marijuana entrepreneurship areas. This solution is much closer to the ideal solution for legal reform but needs to be enacted at a federal level to protect from the federal governments use of this substance for their own personal agendas against the American public. America does not need to be afraid of a plant that is far less dangerous than alcohol which is already being consumed by millions of Americans a year. With drunk driving and other deaths related to the consumption of alcoholic beverages an opportunity for a safer substance has been presented. The American public needs to come together to dispel the anti-pot rhetoric and the mantras that have stopped this in the past. There is no time better than now to back marijuana legalization. - Chad Mossman
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One day I was walking and the sun shined in my face, I turned, I turned and ran away, now in the darkness, I hoped for the light, I prayed and oh how beautiful was the sun and its rays! (Salvation, Nikki Luellen) COMMUNITY ACTIVISM, and the History of the Black Church in America When community activism is mentioned to most Black Christians today, they will quickly express that God will solve all of our problems. What Black Christians never mention is the scripture that says faith without works is dead. When the first Independent Black churches began, they were heavily involved in community activism. In 2015, The Black Christian community have been silent on issues such as racial discrimination, police brutality and also poverty in the Black community. Sadly these problems have gotten worse and the only thing Black churches have successfully done about the issue of police brutality is have countless prayer vigils at every tragedy. What most Black people do not realize is that some of the most influential Black activists were Christians and they used their religion as a way to actively fight against racial oppression. Since the Black church was the center of community activism during the times of slavery, then Black Christians in 2015 should use their religion as a tool for social change in the Black community. These independent Black churches were started because of racial oppression. Black people were not allowed to pray in the “white section” of these churches and were constantly insulted. Black people were not allowed to have certain positions in these white churches and they were constantly segregated to certain seating positions, cemeteries, communion services and Sunday schools. Some churches were led by Black ministers with an all-black congregation but was really under the supervision of White government, “African Americans formed separate black congregations, usually headed by black ministers but subordinate to white hierarchies.”1 These churches seemed to be ran by Blacks but Darlene Clark-Hine, William Hine, and Stanley Harrold, “The African American Odyssey” Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 0758 (301,2011,2008) 117 1
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were secretly controlled and owned by white people like some so called Black churches are today. Fed up with constant racial discrimination and inhumane treatment in the house of God, Black folks did not wait on white people to treat them fairly. Black people longed to have their own independent Black church so they could worship God in freedom and in truth. The first recorded independent Black church was started in 1816 by Richard Allen called Mother Bethel. The Black church became the center for activism, “Black church buildings housed schools, social organizations, and antislavery meetings.” 2 The Black church was the foundation of community activism and Black leadership. The Black church was involved in the most pressing issue of the time which was slavery and they used their resources to help free Black people from bondage. The leaders of the independent Black church movement was Richard Allen and Absalom Jones. These two men also founded the community activist organization called Free African Society in 1787. These church leaders knew that as Black Christians it was their duty to be their brother’s keeper. The Black church also started the first Black independent school. The main focus of the black churches up until reconstruction was for the ultimate liberation of Black people, not only spiritually but physically as well. Knowing the history of activism in the Black church, we must ask ourselves, what is the main goal of many of these Black Churches today? With all of their money and members, do they ever plan to go beyond prayer vigils at every tragedy? Will they ever join with other community leaders to try to put an end to some of these major issues we face as a people? Or do they feel as though that is not their job? Perhaps if Black churches dealt with the most pressing issues that Black people have to face when they leave the church, they might bring even more souls to Christ and actually win over the younger generation who see church as a place they cannot relate to because it does not address their needs.
Darlene Clark-Hine, William Hine, and Stanley Harrold, “The African American Odyssey” Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 0758 (301,2011,2008) 117 2
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Thank you for your contribution to Blacker The Berry News!!! We ask for a $2 fee to help with the continuation of our theatre, media and research team. Donate to Blacker The Berry News so we can continue to put out truth! - Nikki Luellen, chief editor of B.T.B News * Have you been harassed by the police? If so, contact us so we can help you get your story out. * To place an ad in our newspaper is only $5 for a week and the fee is only $10 to run your ad for an entire month! * If you are interested in being a part of our research team, or want to be a contributing writer, email us. You will be contacted promptly! * If you are interested in real solutions to police brutality, email us! Please visit our website and sign the petition to bring economic freedom to the Black community. Email: Blackertheberry7@yahoo.com Visit us online: https://blackertheberryent.wordpress.com/ Facebook & Instagram: #Blackertheberryentertainment WE ARE CURRENTLY HIRING ONE BLACK YOUTH 14-25 FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST TO BECOME A DISTRUBUTOR, IF INTERESTED, EMAIL US!!!!!